A Huntingdonshire group who supported people throughout the Covid pandemic and has continued to provide help in its community has been recognised by the Royal family during the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

The Huntingdonshire Community Group’s Covid-19 Response Team has been honoured with a Covid-19 Platinum Champions Award during Her Majesty the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations.

The group’s founder Cllr Patrick Kadewere said in a statement: “It was a huge honour to find out I had won an award on behalf of our Covid-19 Response Team for the volume of work we carried out for vulnerable residents during the pandemic."

Cllr Kadewere was among 490 volunteers selected nationwide and named as one of the 70 specially selected Platinum Champions. He was presented with a certificate and an award by Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall.

He and Vice-chair of the group, Kimberly Lavery, were invited by the Royal Family to attend the Platinum Party at the Palace and the Eden Project's Big Jubilee Lunch as part of the jubilee celebrations.

"It was a lovely surprise to have HRH The Duke of Cambridge and HRH Prince Charles make a surprise appearance to thank all the volunteers for their dedicated service during her the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee year," said Cllr Kadewere.

We are so proud of each and every one of our volunteers who stepped forward to support the largest community response to a crisis many of us will have faced. I would also like to thank Huntingdonshire District Council and Hunts Forum, who without their support of the voluntary sector this response would not have been possible”.

Ms Lavery added: “Throughout the pandemic our team worked incredibly hard to ensure all vulnerable residents had the support they needed whilst the country was under lockdown and many residents were advised to shield at home for their own safety. I was proud to be a part of this response along with every member of our team.

"We were delighted to have been invited to such a historic celebration and would like to thank all volunteers not just from our organisation for looking after the most vulnerable during this worldwide crisis."